Expanded sheet metal



Aug. 5. I924.

H. M. GERSMAN XPANDED SHEET METAL Filed Feb. 12. 1921 mull" HARVEY M. GERS AH.

Imam-0R which the spacing of the transverse rows of' Patented Aug. 5, 1924..

UNITED STATES taai TENT

HARVEY M. ennsnnn, or BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

EXPANDED SHEET METAL.

Application filed February 12, 1921.

To all whom it may concern: 1

Be 1t known that HARVEY M. GERSMAN, a

citizen of the United States, residing at ularly as lathing. for the reinforcement and and for other structural retention of plaster purposes.

The invention proposes improvements in the well known type of metallic lathing which is characterized by cellsor voids of'elongated hexagonal outline and the objectsv in View are to provide for. greater strength and stifi'ness without 1ncrease or substantial increase in the. weight of J the metal and to reduce in material degree the amount of plaster required.

The-invention consists in the form and relation of the strands and the webs or junc-v tion portions between which the strands extend, as will appear in detail in the course of the description. v

The features'of the invention are shown in the accompanying drawing,'wherein Figure 1 is a plan perspective view of a portion of the sheet of expanded metal according to the invention.

Figure 2 is an enlargeddetaile'dplan perspective view of the same.

Figure 3 is a detailed cross section through any one of the strand connecting portions in any one of the rows A of the hexagonal voids or cells.

Figure A is a detailed cross section through any one of the strand connecting portions in any one of the rows B of the hexagonal voids or cells.

Figure 5 is a plan view of the blank in slits is exaggerated to promote clearness of illustration.

Similar characters of reference-designate corresponding parts throughout the views.

The strands 1 and the webs or connecting portions" 2 delimit hexagonal cells or voids 3 as in the ordinary form of ex panded metal lathing. The hexagonal form of the cells is such that they are arranged in parallel longitudinal rows whose axes are normal to and bisect the parts 2 as will ap- Serial No. 444,534.

pear by the alternately arranged broken lines A and B.

According to the invention the strands have aflaring outline and increase in depth between their ends in the same longitudinal direction of the sheet. The axis of each cellbetween and parallel to the parts 2, as

shown by the broken line C, may be regarded. as the longitudinal center of the cell, and certain strands, distinguished as D, which lie above the axes C in the rows A and.below said axes in the rows B have straight lower edges A and inc-lined upper edges 5 while the other and complementary strands, distinguished as E, which lie below the axes C in the rows A and above said axes'in the rows B have straight upper edges 6 and inclined lower edges 7. The edges 5 of the strands D and the edges 7 of the strands E incline upward and downward respectively in the same mean longitudinal direction of the sheet (as indicated by the arrow F) whereby in such direction all of the strands regularly increase in depth as they approach the webs or connecting por tions 2. In the rows A each part 2 has a straight upper edge 8, extending between the straight upper edges 6 of the strands E which extend from said part and a straight lower edge-9, in like manner extending between the straight lower edges 4 of the strands Dwhich extend to said part; while in the rows B each part 2 has a straight upper edge 8 extending between the inclined upper edges 5 of the strands D which extend from said part and a straight lower edge 9 extending between the inclined lower edges 7 of the strands E, which extend to said part.

It will be apparent from the foregoing description that the strands as connected by the parts 2 extend sinuously in rows in the direction of the axes O and that the rows of strands D alternate with the rows of strands E while the strands of each row and of adjacent rows are connected at their terminals by said parts 2.

For the purpose of producing the above structural characteristics the metal, incident to the expansion thereof, is slit in novel manner as shown in Figure 5. Thus there are rows of straight slits. 10, the slits of each row alining in the direction of their length and falling directly under the slits 10 of the row next above and rows of slit-s 11 inter1nediate the rows of slits 10. The slits 11 are arranged in break-joint or staggered position relatively to the slits and are of angular form, having their ends in alinement throughout each row along a line parallel to the slits 10 and their central portions offset relatively to their ends and in alinement along another line parallel to the slits 10.

The form and direction of the inclined edges 5 and 7 of the strands 1 depends on the form of the slits 11; and in conformity to the construction described and shown in Figures 1 to 4t, the slits 11 are characterized by straight central portions 11 and oppositely inclined side or wing portions 11 The slits 11 of one row fall directly under the slits 11 of the row next above and the straight portions 11 of said slits fall between, that is to say in bridging relation to, the terminals of the slits 10.

As compared with expanded sheet metal of the same type as heretofore used the present metal has its connecting portions 2 of substantially greater depth, i. e., extent between the edges 8 and 9 or 8 and 9 and the several pairs of strands converging, and increasing in depth as they converge, to said connecting portions, by virtue of such form, each embody a truss-like reinforcement. This ftruss formation of the strands and connecting portions and increased depth of said connecting portions add greatly to the strength and stiffness of the metal without requirlng any substantial increase in its weight and thereby enables the metal effectively to resist pressure applied thereto incident to plastering and to provide a rigid reinforcement for the plaster. Moreover, better keying and clinching effects are obtained since the strands 1 act as wedges in either direction and in connection with the portions 2 form larger pockets for the plaster. The portions 2 by virtue of their greater depth and strength also prevent seepage or flowing through of the plaster and thereby reduce to a minimum the amount of plaster required per unit of area.

the same weight having the structural features described may be produced where the slits are an inch in length and the strands have a minimum depth of one-sixteenth of an inch and a maximum depth of one-eighth of an inch and where the connecting portions have a depth of three-sixteenths of an inch. 7

Having thus described my invention, I

I claim:

1. Expanded sheet metal having strands and connecting portions between the strands, the strands and connecting portions delimiting hexagonal voids each strand increasing in depth from one end thereofto the other.

2. Expanded sheet metal having strands and connecting portions between the strands, the strands and connecting portions delimiting hexagonal voids and the strands increasing in depth in the same mean longitudinal direction of the sheet. i

3. Expanded sheetmetal having strands and connecting portions between the strands, the strands and connecting portions delimiting hexagonal voids and the strands as they mutually converge toward their connecting portions having their depths similarly progressively varied.

4. Expanded sheet metal having strands and connecting portions between the strands andproduced froma blank having rows of alining straight slits falling under one another and intermediate rows of slits having central" portions ofl'set relatively to their ends and arranged in staggered or break joint position relatively to the'straight slits.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

HARVEY M. GERSMAN. 

